Editorial: Heads up time in work zones

The curse of the orange barrel - and the blessings they promise - began early for Hoosier drivers, thanks in part to some $1 billion worth of road construction going on across the state and warmer-than-normal temperatures.

The grumbling behind the wheel, though, is no match for the chills that run down the spines of highway workers who depend on a heads-up motoring public to make construction zones safe.

In 2001, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation, 14 people were killed and close to 500 people were injured in highway work zones in 2011. That's more than plenty, thank you.

While recent work zone safety weeks focused on highway workers, INDOT officials were reminding drivers that across the nation, four our of five people killed in work zones were motorists. So everyone on the road has a stake in this.

Protect yourself and the highway workers out there with these INDOT tips: